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Prosecutors: Drunken driver was 3 times legal limit when he hit mom, daughter in Beverly

BEVERLY, MASS. (WHDH) - A Boxford man was more than three times the legal limit for alcohol when he struck and injured a mother and daughter as they were crossing the street in a crosswalk in Beverly Thursday night, prosecutors said.

Stephen G. Hendricks, 24, was ordered held on $7,500 cash bail following his arraignment in Salem District Court on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of liquor causing serious bodily injury, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and committing a crosswalk violation.

Officers responding to a reported pedestrian crash at the intersection of Cabot and Winter streets about 9 p.m. found the two women, ages 18 and 56, suffering from serious injuries. They were both taken by ambulance to Beverly Hospital. Their condition was not released on Friday.

Prosecutor Michael Dulany told the court that the 18-year-old victim was knocked right out of her shoes.

“He struck the 18-year-old so hard that she bounced off his windshield,” prosecutor Michael Dulany told the court. “Both of her shoes flew off of her feet.”

John Bartolomeu, a local art student who witnessed the crash, told 7News that he heard screeching tires before the teenage victim was knocked up into the air.

“You heard the screech of the tires, the slam of the brakes, and she just flew up into the air and hit the ground,” he said.

The older woman was not hurt as badly as her daughter, according to Bartolomeu.

“She was calling out to her. She seemed like she was doing OK,” he said of the woman. “The daughter was awake but she wasn’t moving. It was pretty scary.”

Court documents indicate that five bottles of wine, two of which were empty, were recovered from Hendricks’ car after the crash. Two empty nips of Bacardi rum were also said to be in the vehicle.

Hendricks’ attorney told the court that his client is a Marine Corps veteran who graduated from an area high school.

Hendricks did post bail but will remain behind bars until he is equipped with an alcohol monitoring device.

Endicott College sophomore Jessica Foster tells 7News she’s classmates with the 18-year-old woman prosecutors say has a fractured skull after being struck.

“She’s a beautiful writer, and I can tell so much that she’s inspired by writing and reading and it’s great,” Foster said. “I hope she’s OK.”

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